Fire officials are urging folks to avoid cooking their turkeys in deep fryers this Thanksgiving, and consider the safer, oil-less fryers.

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A twelve pound turkey is submerged in the deep fryer filled with hot peanut oil. With the oil heated to 350 degrees the bird took only 45 minutes to cook to a golden brown. (Photo: J. Kyle Keener, Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo

But given all the stressed-out cooks on Thanksgiving Day — and the record fires they cause in trying to please their guests — you may want to forego the deep fryer this year, or keep an extinguisher nearby.

So warn fire officials, who say Thanksgiving is the leading day in America for home cooking fires — with the main culprit being portable deep fryers.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the average number of reported house fires more than doubles on Thanksgiving Day compared to any other day of the year. The agency reports that two-thirds, or 67% , of home cooking fires start when food or cooking materials catch on fire. And more than half — 55% — of home cooking fire injuries happen when people try to fight the fire themselves.

So with Thanksgiving just around the corner, Michigan Fire Marshal Kevin Seylmeyer is urging residents to consider using the safer, oil-less fryers. He said that oil-less electric or infrared models are much safer methods of cooking your Thanksgiving turkey.

But if you insist on using the deep fryer, cook with caution and know the dangers, he says.

"Unattended cooking is the main cause of residential fires, especially on Thanksgiving when busy cooks can be distracted," Sehlmeyer said. "Never leave cooking unattended, not even for a second."

Sehlmeyer stressed that portable, propane-fueled turkey fryers -- a popular and faster cooking method -- poses a considerable fire risk if not done correctly. He noted that deep-frying a turkey in several gallons of hot oil over 350 degrees is as flammable as gasoline if the cooking oil vapors ignite.

He stressed: "Never use a portable deep fryer in a garage, on or under a deck, breezeway, porch or inside any structure."

Officials note that grease fires commonly start with cooking oil spilling over the sides of the fryer onto the flames below. Vapors can ignite if the unit is heated beyond 350 degrees. If rain or snow hits the hot cooking oil, the cooking oil may splatter or turn to steam that can lead to burns.

For those of you who plan to use a portable, propane deep-fryer for your turkey this week, here are some safety precautions to follow:

Always use the portable deep fryer on a flat surface, well away from houses, garages, decks, trees, bushes and other outdoor hazards.

Use a portable deep fryer with a gas valve controller.

Make sure your turkey is completely thawed and dry the turkey prior to putting in the fryer. Extra water or placing a frozen turkey in the fryer will cause the cooking oil to bubble and spill over.

Never leave the portable deep fryer unattended.

Keep children and pets away from the portable deep fryer.

Allow at least two (2) feet of space between the liquid propane tank and the portable deep fryer burner.

Do not overfill the portable deep fryer with cooking oil that can result in the overflow of the cooking oil and a flash fire when immersing the turkey into the cooking oil.

If the cooking oil begins to smoke, immediately turn the propane tank to OFF by closing the propane tank valve.

Keep a fire extinguisher nearby . NEVER use water to extinguish a cooking oil or grease fire.

And if you resort to using the oven, here are some other tips to avoid a kitchen fire.

Start with a clean stove and oven.

Remove food and grease buildup from burners, stovetop, and oven.

Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to prevent pot tipping by young children or catching on loose clothing.

Wear short sleeves or roll sleeves up, so not to catch your clothing on fire during cooking.

Set timers to keep track of turkeys and other foods that require extended cooking times.

Turn off the stove if you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time.

Keep a pan lid or cookie sheet nearby; always use an oven mitt.

For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

Have working smoke alarms in the home and have an escape plan the entire family knows. Have two (2) ways out if a fire occurs.

Tresa Baldas can be contacted at tbaldas@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Tbaldas